Can opener



April l5,

. INVENTOR.

E (45 43- l Edward L. Verhagen BY T I6 Homey Patented Apr. 15, 1952 CANOPENER Edward 1.-. Verhagen, Rahway, N. J., assigner to The ReginaCorporati poration of New York iin, Rahway, N. J., a cor- ApplicationNovember 24:, 1950, Serial No. 197,411

s clams.

(Cl. SEF-9) 'I'he invention relates to a can opener and moreparticularly to that type of can opener which utilizes a rotary cuttingdisc and a rotating feeding device for engaging the flange f thecontainer and by means of which the container is propelled duringengagement with the `cutting,r disc. Can openers of this type areadapted to removethe top of the container by severing the top at a pointadjacent to its periphery.

More particularly, the invention relates to a novel construction of suchcan opener ln which there is provided a spring guide for effecting theproper positioning of the top flange of the can in'relation to therotary cutting disc and for maintaining the container in the properposition for severing the top of the container as the container isrotated by the feeding device.

An object of the invention is to provide a spring guide which properlypositions the container to be opened in relation to the rotary cuttingdisc and the rotating feeding device when the container is loaded in thecan opener, i. e., when the container is applied to the device to eiectthe operation of opening the container. The guide means insuresinsertion of the container into the can opener with the top of the canperfectly horizontal and properly centered under the cutting disc andbetween the feeding device and the cutting disc.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a spring guidewhich is effective to vhold the container in proper location withrespect to the cutting disc while the top of the container is beingpunctured to start the severing of such container top.

' Another object of the invention is to provide such a spring guidewhich will exert a proper guiding pressure on the container irrespectiveof the wall thickness of the container, or the thickness or height ofthe bead or flange located at the top peripheral edge of the cani.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a spring guidefoot which will position the side wall of the kcontainer away from thefeeding device,l and will thus prevent the tearing on .and shredding ofany paper wrapper on the container. A common defect of can openers ofthetype here under consideration, heretofore in use, has been the jammingof the feed mechanism by an accumulation of small shreds of paper tornfrom the paper wrapper of the container. By positioning the containerbeing operated on by the device, at a slight angle slanting away fromthe feeding device, the tearing and shredding of the paper wrapper iseffectively prevented, and the jamming due to the accumulation of suchshredded or torn pieces is eliminated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a spring guide ofsuch shape and configuration that it includes two front contact portionsspaced at the same distance from the face of the rotating feedingdevice, which contact points exert sufficient pressure when thecontainer revolves, to compensate for the natural tendency of thecontainer to work sidewards and away from the proper cutting position.The shape and configuration of the spring guide is also such that it iseffective to press the container outwardly against the cutting disc andthereby insure the cutting of the container top close to the inside wallof the container, as when making the original puncture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide aspring guidemember which will act to support the can during cutting in such a manneras to prevent sidewise tipping. The feed mechanism in can openers of thetype here being considered usually consists of a single toothed wheel.Such wheel acts to support the can at f' onlyvone point, and thereforecan not prevent tipping of the can about that point. A spring guideembodying the present invention provides portions which engage theunderside of the bead on the can on both sides of the feed wheel, thuseffectively preventing tipping.

Further and other objects of the invention will appear to those skilledin the art'from. the following description of a specific embodiment ofmy invention and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichdrawings:

Fig. 1 is a reduced partially broken away plan view of a can openerconstructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the samewith a container to be opened applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view thereof without the container appliedthereto;

Fig. 4' is a still further enlarged plan view the spring guide member;

Fig. 5 is a front view thereof; and

Fig. 6 yis a side view thereof. i

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which similar referencecharacters identify similar parts in the several views, the can openeris constructed for mounting on a Wall or other vertical support by meansof a mounting bracket l0 which is shown partly broken away. At the outerend of the mounting bracket, and extending at right angles thereto isthe housing ll (shown broken away in all views). The housing is aVhollow and has opening I2 therein. Within the Rigidly secured to thesleeve I3 is the extensionv member I8. The extension member I8 has a camface I9.

A second sleeve 20 having cam face 2| is mounted on shaft |1. The sleeve20 is free to rotate about the shaft I1, but is held against axialmovement relative to the shaft |1. The forward point of the cam face 2|on sleeve 28 abuts against the cam face I3 on extension I8 of sleeve I3,and

the rearward end of the sleeve 20 abuts against the washer 22 which isheld securely on the shaft I1 by bolt 23. A handle 24 is rigidly securedto the Asleeve V2|) and the sleeve 28 is rotated by this handle 24.

As the sleeve 20 is rotated by handle 24 the forward point of the camface 2| rides on cam face I9 of the extension I8. The sleeve 28 is thusmoved relative to the sleeve I3 and carries with it the shaft I1. Aspring not shown urges the sleeve forwardly so that the forward point ofcam face 2| is constantly pressed against cam face I9. The cam faces I9and 2| are formed so as to permit the cutting disc I5 to move from anopen position a small distance away from the drive wheel I6 to a closedposition abutting the drive wheel I6.

The stop member 25 is secured to the sleeve 23 so as to act as aneccentric. As the sleeve is rotated by the handle 24 the stop member 25bears against the stop plate 26. The stop plate is urged upwardly by aspring 26h so that it is constantly pressed against the stop member 25,and the stop member is provided with a lug 25a which prevents furtherrotation of the sleeve i 20 when it engages the raised portion 26a ofthe stop plate 26.

Due to its eccentric mounting on the sleeve 20, as the stop member 25rotates it pivots the sleeve I3 about pin I4, the sleeve I3 carries withit the shaft I1, raising the rearward end of the shaft I1 and swingingthe cutting disc I5 downward toward the drive wheel I6. Rotation of thehandle from the dotted position shown in Fig. 1 to the solid positionmoves the cutting disc I5 rearwardly and swings it downwardly.

The drive wheel I6 is secured to shaft 21. The shaft 21 is mounted forrotation in the housing II and,a crank 28 is provided so that it can bemanually rotated. A coil spring 29 is mounted within recess 30 of thehousing II and will yield to pressure of the drive wheel I6 when thecontainer is pressed against the wheel and thus the opener is adapted toreceive containers having flanges and walls of different thicknesses andwill insure effective gripping and feeding during the entire cuttingoperation although there may be slight variations in the dimensions ofthe can. This is also a fuction of the spring guide member 3| as will beexplained later.

The flat spring guide member 3| is of the configuration shown in Figs. 4through 6, and isrprovided with an aperture 32 so that it may be mountedon shaft 21. The spring guide member 3| is located on the shaft 21between the drive wheel I6 and the coil spring 29. Y

The guide member 3| is formed with two projecting wings 33 and 34, eachwingv being spaced equally from the center of the guide member 3|. Eachwing is V-shaped in the side view as can be seen clearest in Fig. 6. Thewing 33 has an upper portion 35 which slants upwardly and inwardly fromthe outermost point 36 and a lower portion 31 which slants downwardlyand inwardly from the outermost point 36. Similarly the wing 34 has anupper portion 38 which slants upwardly and inwardly from the outermostpoint 39 and a lower portion 40 which slants downwardly and inwardlyfrom the outermost point 39.

The wings 33 and 34 are each bent Vback as J, shown to present a roundedsurface to the container and to provide wings of substantial strength.The outermost points 36 and 39 on the wings 33 and 34, respectively, areequidistant above the bottom of the guide member 3| and the surfacespresented by the portions 35 and 31 are respectively parallel to thesurfaces presented by the portions 38 and 40.

The portions 35 and 38 act to support the container during the cuttingoperations and cooperate with the pin 4| and the projecting lug 42 onthe face of the cutter to originally, properly position the containervertically relative to the cutting disc I5 and the toothed drive WheelI6. The wings 33 and 34 engage the side of the can and properly positionit horizontally.

The Wing 34 is higher than the wing 33, and has a longer connectingportion with the rest of the guide member 3| and therefore is strongerthan the wing 33. Thus the wing 34 exerts a greater force on thecontainer being operated on, and acts to overcome the natural tendencyof the container to move to the right in Fig. 3 as the top is being cut.

The lower portion of the guide member 3| is formed with a channel shapedportion 43 which grips tightly the projection 44. This holds the guidemember 3| against rotation about the shaft I1 and makes certain that theguide member 3| will remain in the' proper position. VA protrusion 45 inthe channel shaped portion 43 extends outwardlya small distance beyondthe outer surface of the drive wheel I6 and bears against the side wallof the container being operated on. This tips the container slightlyVand positions the sidewall of the container away from the drive wheelI6, preventing any tearing or shredding of a paper wrapper on thecontainer as it revolves. Such torn or shredded paper has a tendency toclog the drive wheel retarding and eventually preventing its rotation.In operation a container is positioned under the cutting disc I5 withthe flange resting on the top of the drive wheel I6 and on portions 35and 38 of wings 33 and 34. Guiding the can into the proper position arepin 4|, lug 42 and wings 33 and 34 of the guide member 3|. The handle 24is then rotated from the dotted position shown in Fig. l to the solidposition placing the cutting disc I5 into the position shown in Fig. 2.This movement of the cutting disc punctures the container top. Rotationof the handle 28 rotates drive wheel I5 which in turn rotates thecontainer. Portions 35 and 38 of wings 33 and 34, respectively,V aid insupporting the container during this cutting action.

I claim:

. l. A can ,opener comprising a cutting element, a containerv feedingmeans, and guide means, for

positioning the container in the can opener, said guide means comprisinga fiat metal spring guide member, having lateral iorwardlyextending wingportions on both sides of said feeding means,

each of said wing portions having an outermost 5 said can openerincluding a housing and a pro- 10 jection in said casing beneathfsaidfeed means, said guide member having iai lower channel shaped portionadapted to t oversaid projection, and a protrusion on saidfchannelshaped portion, extending outwardly ibeyond the outer- 15 most point ofsaid feeding means.

2. A can opener comprising a cutting element, acontainer feeding means,and guide means, for positioning the container in the can opener, saidguide means comprising a flat metal spring guide 2G member, havinglateral forwardly extending wing portions on both sides of said feedingmeans, each of said wing portions having an outermost point andextending upwardly and inwardly from said outermost point therebypresenting an in- 25 clined surface to receive the flange of thecontainer being operated on by said can opener, and wherein one of saidwing portions is secured lto( the rest of the spring guide member moreirigidly than the other of said wing portions.

3. A can opener comprising a cutting element, a container feeding means,and guide means, for positioning the container in the can opener, saidguideV means comprising a fiat metal spring guide member, having lateralforwardlyV extending wing portions on both sides of said feeding means,each of said wing portions having an outermost point y,and extendingupwardly and; inwardly from said outermost point thereby presenting aninclinedsurface Vto receive the flange of the container being operatedon by said can opener, and wherein one of said wing portions# is longerthan the other of said wing portions and extends upwardly to a pointabove the uppermost extent of the other wing portion. C

EDWARD L 1VERHAGEN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,999,370Olschewski Apr. 30, 1935 2,460,717 Smith, Jr Feb. 1, 1949

